I am back – Chapter 62

My older sister came in, but the atmosphere wasn’t right for asking what conversation had just occurred, so I decided to pretend I didn’t notice.

Fortunately, she soon perked up. Although she briefly seemed wrapped in thought and a bit gloomy, that didn’t last long. A few moments later, she returned to her usual calm self, quietly reading a book.

The soft jazz music in the background from the bakery filled the air.

I didn’t know the title. I wasn’t sure how long ago this jazz had been recorded, but the static that crept in suggested it might have been an old record mixed into a CD.

Of course, even new music can mimic the feel of old songs if you throw in some noise.

After a while of listening to the music, I found myself staring blankly out the window.

“…Ah.”

I let out that sound without realizing it.

“Hmm?”

The store was so quiet that even my small voice seemed to reach my sister.

There was no need to answer; she would quickly understand why I made that sound just by looking in the same direction I was.

Beyond the glass, a girl was standing there.

She was wearing a white blouse, a brown vest, a beige school uniform jacket, and a checkered skirt.

Her hair fell just below her neck, resting above her shoulders.

Honestly, I recognized her by her school uniform more easily than by her face. Sometimes, the clothes someone is wearing can stick in your mind more vividly than their features.

The reason I recognized her uniform quickly was that it wasn’t one worn around here. There are various uniforms, but usually, the students who pass by often stop here. This girl was the only one in that uniform.

Above all, the girl’s unique atmosphere brought back clear memories of that day.

The girl, fidgeting and hesitating, reminded me of my own experience on the first day I came here.

Well, I might have walked in right away, but I froze once I did.

“Ah.”

Seeing that scene, my sister also let out the same sound I had.

I couldn’t tell if she remembered the girl’s face, but it seemed she recognized her as the one who came in that day.

“……”

My sister just kept watching the fidgeting girl.

Well, if I told her to come inside, she might just run away.

There have been instances where regular customers have been scared off by the owner trying to engage them in conversation. Some people thrive in that atmosphere, but I didn’t think that girl was one of them.

I followed my sister’s gaze toward the girl.

Luckily, it was bright outside. It was much brighter than inside the shop, so if she looked in from outside, she wouldn’t easily notice we were staring at her, especially since she was so fidgety.

After hesitating for a while, she seemed to come to a decision, sealing her mouth tightly and nodding her head. If she had been closer, I bet I would have heard her take a deep breath.

Then she burst through the door with vigor.

“Hello!”

As soon as she entered, she bowed deeply while greeting us enthusiastically.

“……”

“……”

For a moment, both my sister and I were speechless from her enthusiasm.

Not that we were overwhelmed by her energy, but because we had never seen someone come into a bakery and make such a grand greeting before.

“……”

For a brief moment, silence filled the bakery.

“Oh, welcome!”

It was my sister who broke the silence.

“Feel free to take your time choosing.”

Then, in that soft voice she’d used before, she invited the girl in. She still looked a bit dazed, though.

“Ah, no…”

With my sister’s words, the girl hesitated and straightened up.

“Well…”

She fidgeted with her fingers for a moment before saying,

“I heard you were looking for part-time workers…”

“……”

At those words, my sister and I exchanged brief glances.

*

In fact, even if we were hiring part-time workers, we would obviously have to hold interviews.

No matter how long or short the job is, we’d be working together for a while. It might sound a bit harsh, but if someone’s personality doesn’t fit from the start, it’s probably better not to force a collaboration at all.

And it presented an opportunity to compare multiple candidates… though that only works in a place where numerous people gather, which is light-years away from our bakery where barely anyone applied.

My case of starting without an interview was the exception rather than the rule.

“So then…”

Maybe wanting to listen to the girl’s story, my sister called her over from behind the counter.

We sat side by side, opened up folding chairs from the storeroom, and faced her.

Um…

Now that we were sitting like this, I felt anxious about what to do.

My sister seemed to feel the same way. Even though she’d hired a part-timer before, I wasn’t sure if there had been a proper interview back then. Maybe our quick dismissal of her had been due to failing to gauge her personality properly.

Moreover…

“You’ve come quite a long way.”

My sister cautiously initiated the conversation.

The area the girl mentioned was quite far from here. Even though there was a little distance, I could reach it in one subway ride, while she would have to transfer three times due to no direct line, even if it was a short distance.

Taking the bus would take even longer because of the detours.

Plus, as a student, she couldn’t work while attending school.

I was just a freeloader, and my sister needed this job to survive. Even if she only worked once a week, she could manage. But for someone still in school to work here could be challenging in various ways.

Perhaps if it were near her school or home, it might be a different story.

Moreover, the fact that she had come all this way specifically looking for a part-time job worried me. I also remembered the paper she’d been holding that day.

Ah, by the way, this girl’s name was Seogayang.

“It’s fine! I’ll do my best at whatever you give me!”

“Doing your best…”

My sister repeated her words, somewhat in a daze.

“Um, to be honest.”

After a moment’s hesitation, my sister seemed to have made up her mind and opened her mouth with a serious look.

“First of all… we don’t really have a set work system yet. The two of us are doing everything and haven’t really decided how to split the time or duties. Since you’re still in high school, starting work early in the morning isn’t possible, and even if you come right after school, it’ll be late afternoon. The hours will vary depending on the situation.”

“Yes…”

At my sister’s words, Seogayang’s expression turned noticeably gloomy.

“Our bakery closes a bit earlier than others, so even if you come to work, you won’t have many hours available. Even so, the busiest time might overlap, so it could be helpful…”

Um, my sister pondered for a moment before continuing.

“You are a student. Wouldn’t it be better to spend this time studying rather than working here?”

“……”

Seogayang, who had her head bowed, was being gently persuaded by my sister.

My sister’s words certainly made sense.

Forcing someone to work could yield results, but bringing someone on board means establishing new rules and applying them. Adding a single person isn’t that hard, but… being a minor complicates things.

I wasn’t quite sure how it works legally, but at the very least, they have far more restrictions than adults. I couldn’t tell how her parents would feel about it either.

That said, it would cause a bit of guilt to make her work specifically on weekends.

If a student spends all week at school and then uses both weekend days to work, when would they ever get a break? Especially since she was a high school student. Reflecting on how hard I studied in high school, I could only imagine how tough it would be.

Moreover, if she needed money urgently, she wouldn’t have come all this way to find a job. Even if job offers were scarce, no one would travel so far without a special reason.

Still, she didn’t seem to have any bad intentions. I tried to tap into my instincts from my days as a hero, but all I sensed from her were genuine feelings of distress.

“Still, is there nothing we can do…?”

“Um…”

Still, since we had posted ‘part-time job available,’ my sister seemed to be pondering.

I simply watched the two of them talk. I was practically just a staff member; my sister was the one truly running this place.

“Well then… let’s start with getting permission from your parents.”

After a long period of contemplation, my sister said.

“Excuse me?”

“Since you’re a student. You’re not even a college student, so it’s only right to get permission from your parents first.”

With a gentle smile, my sister suggested.

Yeah, that’s probably the first step.

She’s this young after all.

… I didn’t exactly seek my mom’s permission when I started my hero work, but back then I was on the edge of adulthood, so let’s just let it slide.